CZ PV 1999-4307 A3 (published Jun. 14, 2000), corresponding with EP 10 06 383 A1 and with U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,091 B1, applicant/owner SCHROFF GmbH Straubenhardt DE, describes a guiding and holding component. The guiding and holding component is meant for optical waveguides with a groove, with an open frame and with coupling pins, for extension on a bracket of assembly groups and with assembly groups of digital communications technology, which are connected using optical waveguides with other parts and separate components. The bracket of the assembly groups is equipped with a cover plate that has a grid of aeration and de-aeration openings, two side walls and at least one load-bearing rail. The guiding and holding component for assembly groups of digital communication technologies is situated on the bracket of the assembly groups for input and output optical waveguides and it is comprised of two pieces. The guiding and holding component is comprised of a guiding part and a holding part, which are mutually releasably connected by an adjustable plug-in connection, with an advantage in two mutually perpendicular directions.
The strength of this solution is the creation of a fastening component with a guide and holder for optical waveguides, terminated in assembly groups or leading out of them and located on the brackets of the assembly groups. Not only does this component serve to return the optical waveguides to a horizontal and vertical direction while maintaining the minimum permitted turning radii and for their insertion in the holder, but it is also useable during various heights of cover plates.
A disadvantage of this solution is the uncontrollable refracting of optical waveguides, during which equal distribution of the pressure cannot be guaranteed, thus there is a threat of damage to the fronts of the optical waveguides.
CZ PV 1992-415 A3 (published Feb. 19, 1992), priority FR 91/9101820, applicant Francelco. Sursennes F R, describes a plug-in and electric connecting block and the connector for this block. The block is primarily useable in the automotive industry The block contains a casing, the two opposite sides of which are equipped with longitudinal guiding protrusions, limiting parallel grooves. The block also contains flat plates made of insulating material, where each plate is inserted in one of these grooves. Each of the plates contains only one row of parallel passes for fitting contact clips and it has one large space in its front section, cut out for the creation of catches in the sense of threading, so that the catches are created to catch the individual clips by fitting in the openings of those clips. The casing and each of the fiat plates contain the appropriate cooperating safety devices, only permitting the full insertion of the plates in one direction. The guiding protrusions occupy the entire depth of the casing so that it leads each plate from the instant it is inserted into the casing in that the catches are narrowing and in that the casing is equipped with a step on one of its large walls for bringing to a stop the first plate's entire catch, which would be raised by the imperfect insertion of this plate's clips, while the step limits the deformation in the bend of the catch.
The used flat plates, when placed by force, when the clips they bear are not perfectly inserted and the catches snapped in, then the inserted plates can press in on the catch or the plate can be bent until it breaks. In these two cases the clip is no longer by one of the inserted plates. The entire catch, lifted by the clip, runs up against the step and slides along it until it rests against the stop, which halts it. The operator is thus warned and is forced to check the clips.
The disadvantage of this construction arrangement is the large angular looseness of the line, which is negatively reflected during the vibrations of single-mode optical waveguides with a low numerical aperture.
Plug-in boxes or plug-in components, used in optical or metallic or electronic systems are passive structural components, used for terminating the lines of connection and distribution networks or for the concurrent reorganisation of these networks into configurations suitable for their appropriate application. The plug-in boxes or plug-in components are equipped, on the back panel, with plugs for plug-in panel optical or metallic connectors, for plugging into the sockets. These sockets are immovably attached in frames, distribution stands, or other mechanical covers and they are equipped on their back panels with pairing connectors in the corresponding plugs.
So far the known and used methods of plugging plug-in boxes or components to sockets are essentially limited to manual manipulation during assembly and they rely on the thoroughness and skill of the operating technicians. In this case, however, it is often objectively difficult to maintain the necessary conditions of mechanic stress on both parts of the enjoined connectors. Apart from the angular deviations that regularly occur when plugging the boxes into the sockets, an especially critical parameter that is difficult to control objectively is the interval of the mutual compression stress of the ferules of the connected plugs and sockets. When inserting too cautiously the connection can be incomplete and imperfect while, on the other hand, inserting with too much force can result in the permitted force being exceeded, leading to permanent damage to the parts of the optical or metallic connectors.
The uncertainty in the knowledge of geometry against the inserted parts in the operating position causes problems. The problem is further complicated by the fact that the optical or metallic connectors are not physically accessible in this application because they are usually situated on the back side of the box, inserted in the sockets. It is not easy to manually secure by tightening or clicking. It can be seen that with the current means of assembly it is not possible to guarantee the proper functionality and position of insertion.
This calls into question the entire application of such devices in heavy climactic conditions such as large changes or ranges of temperatures or and difficult mechanical conditions such as a large range of vibrations that are characteristic of conditions in aeronautics.